I got real lucky and scored a last minute ticket to a secret Osees show at Non Plus Ultra last night (thanks to my thoughtful pal Bealene). I’ve been a big John Dwyer fan since the days of The Hospitals and The Coachwhips. The man is a brilliant, unstoppable songwriting machine. It’s been astonishing to hear his songwriting skills mature/evolve over the years—from the abrasive sound of The Hospitals to the lo-fi, scrappy sound of The Coachwhips, and over the past eighteen years, the masterful songwriting of OCS/Thee Oh Sees/Osees.
Last night’s secret show was seriously thee best Osees show I’ve ever seen—twenty-three stunning songs! MY MIND WAS BLOWN! They played “Static God,” “Heartworm,” “Nite Expo,” “Withered Hand,” “I Come from the Mountain,” “Toe Cutter/Thumb Buster,” “The Dream,” “Rogue Planet,” “Dreary Nonsense,” “Ticklish Warrior,” “Tidal Wave,” “Jettisoned,” “Gholu,” “Web,” and so many others. What a night!